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KERRY RETURNS TO VIETNAM TO TALK CLIMATE FUTURE: Secretary of State John Kerry, speaking in Vietnam this weekend, said the U.S. and that nation have come a long way since he fought there decades ago — but the biggest threat to the Mekong Delta today is climate change. “Vietnam is one of the most vulnerable countries in the world when it comes to climate change. And we will see very serious impacts if we don’t change course today,” Kerry said. “That’s why all of us need to work together and focus in on these issues.” The U.S. and Vietnam are already working on some initiatives, Kerry noted, including adaptation funding and clean energy development. But Kerry also cautioned against jumping headlong into hydropower and dams that could negatively affect the river's flow.

Sounds fishy: Kerry was sure to paint the Mekong issue as a global one that affects him and other seafood lovers as well as the area’s residents. “Let me bring it home: Legal Sea Foods in Boston, Massachusetts, which now has outlets in other parts of the country — Washington, D.C. and elsewhere — comes here, and many of the fish products that come to Legal Sea Foods and other restaurants in America come from right here,” he said. “We’re connected to this. Our livelihood, our economy is connected to this. And we all need to work together in order to deal with it.”

HAPPY MONDAY and welcome to Morning Energy, where we have pictures for the highest bidder of Talia Buford teaming up with two-thirds of Destiny's Child for a spectacular half-time performance at the POLITICO holiday party this weekend. Send your news to aguillen@politico.com, and follow on Twitter @alexcguillen, @Morning_Energy and @POLITICOPro.

LAWMAKERS PUSH CONGRESS LEADERS ON EXTENDERS: Members of the House Sustainable Energy and Environment Coalition will send a letter to the Ways and Means Committee today calling for key energy tax provisions to be extended since tax reform efforts will not be enacted by the end of this year. Their list includes the renewable energy production tax credit, the 48C advanced energy manufacturing credit, efficient home and appliance credits and hybrid vehicle credits. Many congressional tax writers had hoped to avoid a tax extenders package in favor of addressing the issues in broader tax reform, but the delays in those efforts is beginning to worry clean energy proponents. Sen. Ed Markey will send a companion letter to the Finance Committee today as well.

W.H. HELD BACK RULES AHEAD OF ELECTION — REPORT: In a refrain familiar to federal regulation watchers, a Washington Post story alleges the White House held back a number of regulations and rules in 2011 and 2012 ahead of the election, including a number of environmental rules addressing issues like coal ash, boiler emissions, Tier 3 and, of course, greenhouse gas emissions. “Those findings are bolstered by a new report from the Administrative Conference of the United States (ACUS), an independent agency that advises the federal government on regulatory issues. … [Tier 3], which would reduce the amount of sulfur in U.S. gasoline by two-thirds and impose fleetwide pollution limits on new vehicles by 2017, was ready in December 2011, said three officials familiar with the proposal. But agency officials were told to wait a year to submit it for review because critics could use it to suggest that the administration was raising gas prices, they said. The EPA issued the proposed rule in March.”

— Both supporters and opponents of regulation noted a number of big rules were issued over the time period — including EPA’s mercury rule, which won wide praise from environmentalists (and is wending its way through court challenges today). “Emily Cain, spokeswoman for the Office of Management and Budget, said in a statement that the administration’s ‘approach to regulatory review is consistent with long-standing precedent across previous administrations and fully adheres’ to federal rules.” WaPo: http://wapo.st/19p3hyQ

ICYMI: POLITICO has written about this issue in recent years. If you need a refresher, check out Darren Samuelsohn and Jonathan Allen in July 2012 on the administration slow-walking new rules: http://politi.co/1cKoqEs. And Erica Martinson wrote in April 2012 that EPA removed references to plans to regulate greenhouse gas emissions from existing power plants from its first rule for new plants: http://politico.pro/1bIbopE. And Erica, in March 2012, wrote about environmentalists seeing political motivation in the delay on EPA rules: http://politi.co/Jo0jAg

SPOTTED: On last night’s episode of “The Simpsons,” a license plate reading “Jewel of the Fracking Belt.”

SENATE PANELS WORK ON NOMINEES: With the House officially on holiday and the Senate’s floor time filled up this week — with items like Jeh Johnson’s nomination to head the Department of Homeland Security, the House budget bill and the National Defense Authorization Act — the Senate’s energy and environment panels are working primarily on nominations before leaving for Christmas. Here what you need to know about what’s going on this week.

ENR nominations: The Energy and Natural Resources Committee meets on Tuesday at 10 a.m. to consider Janice Schneider to be Assistant Secretary of the Interior for Land and Minerals Management; Neil Kornze to head the Bureau of Land Management; Ellen Williams to head the Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy; and Marc Kastner to direct DOE's Office of Science. http://1.usa.gov/1kMftva

— The committee will also vote on several nominees after the planned markup was postponed from last week. The nominees getting a vote: Christopher Smith to be the Energy Department’s assistant secretary for fossil energy, Steven Croley to be DOE’s general counsel and Esther Kia’aina to be Interior’s assistant secretary for insular areas. http://1.usa.gov/1d0KR6h

ENR legislation: ENR is back again on Thursday to vote on some legislation, mostly non-controversial public land and forestry bills. The panel will also vote on a bill aimed at boosting energy cooperation between the U.S. and Israel; the House Energy and Commerce Committee passed a similar bill last week. http://1.usa.gov/1c5dYc4

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EPW nominations: Not to be left out, the Environment and Public Works Committee has a hearing tomorrow to consider: Thomas Burke to be assistant EPA administrator for research and development; Victoria Wassmer to be EPA's chief financial officer; Rhea Suh to be Assistant Interior Secretary for Fish and Wildlife and Parks; and Roy Williams to be assistant Commerce secretary for economic development. http://1.usa.gov/1kAgiHk

Bonus: The HELP Committee meets Wednesday to consider (among others) France Cordova to direct the National Science Foundation. http://1.usa.gov/1b7QlcN

SEC, EU OFFICIALS TALK ENERGY PAYMENT DISCLOSURE: Several SEC officials — including a representative from Chair Mary Jo White’s office — met last Thursday with a European Commission official about the Dodd-Frank rule requiring energy and mining companies to disclose payments made to foreign governments, according to newly posted meeting records. Pros will remember a federal judge earlier this year ordered the SEC to take another look at the rule. Why is the EU involved? Supporters say a major advantage for the SEC’s interpretation of the law is a similar one enacted by the EU; in a twist, the EU’s policy was justified, in part, by the U.S.’s rule (before it was remanded). Meeting record: http://1.usa.gov/JqMrpE

But wait, there’s more: SEC officials also met Thursday with representatives from the pro-disclosure groups Oxfam America, EarthRights International, Publish What You Pay USA and Publish What You Pay Canada. http://1.usa.gov/1bHYxUG

BP BAMS IT UP A NOTCH: Via the Times-Picayune: “Celebrity chef Emeril Lagasse isn't feeling the love from oil giant BP this week. In a full-page ad in the New York Times on Thursday, BP took aim at Lagasse's restaurants in the oil company's ongoing public campaign to force businesses seeking oil spill settlement money prove their losses were caused by the Deepwater Horizon disaster in 2010. … But on Friday, Emeril's Homebase management firm and the Deepwater Horizon claims administrator both insisted the claim was legitimate under the terms of the BP-approved settlement agreement.” More: http://bit.ly/18OwAdv

— Congress should pass an extension (with a multi-year phase-out) of the wind production tax credit, the Denver Post writes. http://bit.ly/1k6ksJB

— The Interior Department's new eagle take permit periods are a blank check for the wind industry to kill eagles, National Audubon Society President and CEO David Yarnold writes in POLITICO: http://politi.co/197cvSf

QUICK HITS

— Continental Resources CEO Harold Hamm says his company no longer counts on Keystone XL to move its barrels of oil out of North Dakota. Reuters: http://reut.rs/1efOuKK

**The energy industry supports 9.8 million American jobs. And every job created by the energy industry creates nearly three more indirect and induced jobs across the economy. This year alone, Chevron is investing $8.9 billion in U.S. energy projects. See what else Chevron is doing to move our economy forward http://bit.ly/JgZoBL **